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General Education Requirements

General Education Program

What is General Education? . . .

MSU’s General Education program consists of a collection of courses that all undergraduate students are required to take – in addition to coursework in their major. There are two parts of our new program, known as GenEd 2002: three Core requirements and ten Distribution requirements.

The Core courses – New Student Seminar, Scientific Issues, and National and Global Issues – are a special feature of GenEd 2002 that give students a common academic experience and provide an interdisciplinary perspective.

The Distribution requirements cover ten main areas of study – writing and speech; the arts, world languages, and humanities; math, science, and computer science; physical education; and the social sciences.

. . . and why am I required to take it?

General Education is the core of the educational experience at Montclair State University.

It gives you a common academic experience that you share with your fellow students.

It provides you with a firm foundation of knowledge and “cultural literacy” in both traditional and contemporary fields of study.

It prepares you for the working world where employers repeatedly report that what they value most highly in new employees are: a) excellent communications skills, b) exceptional analytic skills, and c) the ability to understand and think critically about complex issues.

In response to the challenges we know students will face both academically at the university and professionally when they enter the workforce, MSU faculty reviewed and revised our general education program in the late 1990s. Faculty then designed GenEd 2002 as a program that would provide students with . . .

  • Writing, writing, and more writing skills
  • A solid base of knowledge
  • Critical thinking skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • The ability to retrieve and evaluate information
  • An understanding of our democratic processes
  • Multicultural and transnational awareness
  • Awareness of issues related to diversity
  • An understanding of world and national issues
  • Ethical decision-making skills

Before any course can be included in the GenEd 2002 program, it has to go through a thorough review by a faculty committee in order to ensure that it will provide students with these ten basic skills and abilities. Some courses provide certain of these skills more than others: College Writing may emphasize writing skills more than it will ethical decision-making, for example. But as a body of courses, the General Education program prepares you for more in-depth study in your major while also preparing you for a career.

What are MSU’s General Education Requirements?

At Montclair State, we require that students complete General Education coursework in ten main areas of study: writing and speech; the arts, world languages, and humanities; math, science, and computer science; physical education; and the social sciences.

What are the “Core Courses” in GenEd 2002 and what is being offered in Spring 2008?

The GenEd 2002 Core consists of the New Student Seminar and two required interdisciplinary courses. Taken together, these courses form the heart of the Montclair Experience.

New Student Seminar (category A)

The New Student Seminar (GNED 199 or its equivalent in your major) is designed to enable you to achieve academic success and to adjust successfully to the challenges of college life. This one-hour course must be taken in your first semester.

Interdisciplinary Core courses

The Interdisciplinary Core courses focus on some of the most significant issues of our time, in two categories: Scientific Issues and National and Global Issues. These courses will raise your awareness about what it means to be a responsible citizen of your community, the U.S., and the world. You must take a Scientific Issues course and you must choose between National Issues or Global Issues. You should begin taking these courses in your sophomore year.

Scientific Issues (category B1)

These courses are designed to emphasize contemporary issues involving the application of the natural and/or physical sciences. Students completing one of these courses will achieve an expanded understanding of the application of scientific knowledge and methodology to address issues, problems, and decisions facing contemporary society.

National and Global Issues (Category B2)

National and Global Issues courses examine an important contemporary issue in the U.S. and throughout the globe, such as class, ethnicity, gender, immigration and migration, justice, artistic expression, environmental sustainability, political development and economic change, public health, or world poverty. Faculty from two different disciplines will team-teach these courses.

These GenEd courses are being offered in Spring 2008

Please explain recent changes to the Interdisciplinary Core requirement -- GNED 201, GNED 202, and GNED 303.

Recent changes to the GenEd Interdisciplinary Core requirement will affect most students. Click on the link that applies to you below to learn more about these changes:

I entered MSU as a Freshman
. . . before Fall 2002
. . . between Fall 2002 & Spring 2006
. . . in Fall 2006 or later

 

 

 

I entered MSU as a Transfer Student
. . . before Fall 2006
. . . in Fall 2006 or later [no degree]
. . . in Fall 2006 or later [A.A. or A.S. degree]
(from a New Jersey county/community college)
. . . in Fall 2006 or later [A.A. or A.S. degree]
(from a community college outside New Jersey)
. . . in Fall 2006 or later [A.A.S. degree]

Please remember to consult your record of academic progress online to determine whether you have these or other requirements to fulfill.

I entered MSU as a Transfer student before Fall 2006.

You are required to fulfill the 1983 GER program. Changes to the team-taught Interdisciplinary Issues Core course requirement in GenEd 2002 do not apply to you. Do not take any of these courses: GNED 201, GNED 202, GNED 303; or these new student seminar courses: GNED 100, GNED 199 (or equivalents of GNED 199, unless required by your major).

I entered MSU as a Transfer student in Fall 2006 or later with no associates degree.

You are required to fulfill the GenEd 2002 program, including the Scientific Issues requirement [GNED 201 or another course on the new B1 list]. You are also required to fulfill all GenEd distribution area requirements not covered by transfer credit evaluation.

Do not take any of these courses: GNED 202, GNED 303; or these new student seminar courses: GNED 100, GNED 199 (or equivalents of GNED 199, unless required by your major).

I entered MSU as a Transfer student in Fall 2006 or later with an A.A. or A.S. degree from a New Jersey county/community college.

You are not required to take any General Education courses at MSU, except where required by your major (e.g., collateral requirements).

I entered MSU as a Transfer student in Fall 2006 or later with an A.A. or A.S. degree from a county/community college outside of New Jersey.

Your transfer credits will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis.

I entered MSU as a Transfer student in 2006-07 or after with an A.A.S. degree from a New Jersey county/community college.

Your transfer credits will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis.

I entered MSU as a Freshman before Fall 2002.

You are required to fulfill the 1983 GER program. Changes to the team-taught Interdisciplinary Issues Core course requirement in GenEd 2002 do not apply to you. Do not take any of these courses: GNED 201, GNED 202, GNED 303; or these new student seminar courses: GNED 100, GNED 199 (or equivalents of GNED 199, unless required by your major).

I entered MSU as a Freshman between Fall 2002 and Spring 2006.

You are required to fulfill all GenEd 2002 distribution requirements and must use the "replacement course" system for Interdisciplinary Core courses [GNED 201, GNED 202, and GNED 303]. This means that you must complete all nine credits of the Interdisciplinary Core requirement. To do this you must take one team-taught Core course, and you must "replace" each of the other two team-taught Core courses by taking a course from a specific category in the General Education distribution requirement. This is in addition to the courses you have taken to satisfy the GenEd distribution areas [categoris B1, H, I, K2, and K3]. Use the replacement courses listed below:

To replace GNED 201 -->
(Scientific Issues Core) 		Take an additional course from the GenEd 2002
Math or Natural/ Physical Sciences list [H or I]
or take any course from the new B1 list
To replace GNED 202 -->
(National Issues Core) 		Take an additional course from the GenEd 2002
Social Science/Social Sciences list [K3]
To replace GNED 303 -->
(Global Issues Core) 		Take an additional course from the GenEd 2002
Social Science/NonWestern Perspectives list [K2]

You are currently viewing the link for students who entered MSU as a Freshman between Fall 2002 and Spring 2006.

To replace GNED 201, take an additional course in one of these GenEd categories:

This GNED 201 replacement option applies only to students entering MSU as Freshmen [non-Transfer] in 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06.

SCIENTIFIC ISSUES [new B1 category]
Earth and Environmental Studies
EUGS 100 Principles of Geography
GEOS 162 General Oceanography

General Education Program
GNED 201 Scientific Issues

Health and Nutrition Sciences
HLTH 101 Personal Health Issues
HLTH 200 Introduction to Public Health
NUFD 182 Nutrition

Honors Program
HONP 211 Honors Seminar in Contemporary Issues I**

MATHEMATICS [H category]
Honors Program
HONP 104 Fractals and Infinity**

Mathematical Sciences
MATH 103 The Development of Mathematics
MATH 104 Fractals and Infinity
MATH 106 Contemporary Applied Math for Everyone
MATH 109 Statistics

NATURAL/PHYSICAL SCIENCE LABORATORY [I category]
Anthropology
ANTH 101 Physical Anthropology

Biology and Molecular Biology
BIOL 100 Biological Sciences
BIOL 109 The Living World
BIOL 110 Biology of Human Life

Chemistry and Biochemistry
CHEM 100 Introductory Chemistry

Earth and Environmental Studies
GEOS 107 Planet Earth
GEOS 112 Physical Geology
GEOS 114 Historical Geology
GEOS 125 Earth and the Environment
GEOS 257 Understanding Weather and Climate
PHMS 210 Introduction to Marine Sciences

Honors Program
HONP 210 Honors Seminar in Science**

* Meets Multicultural Awareness Requirement.
** For honors program students only.

You are currently viewing the link for students who entered MSU as a Freshman between Fall 2002 and Spring 2006.

To replace GNED 202, take an additional course in this GenEd category:

This GNED 202 replacement option applies only to students entering MSU as Freshmen (non-Transfer) in 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06.

K3 – Social Science/Social Science
Anthropology
ANTH 100 Cultural Anthropology*
ANTH 110 The Anthropology of Multicultural America*+
ANTH 210 Urban Anthropology*+
ANTH 230 Anthropology of Conflict and Violence

Art and Design
ARTX 122 Clothing and Culture: A Multidisciplinary Study*

Earth and Environmental Studies
ENVR 109 The Human Environment
EUGS 101 Human Geography
EUGS 102 World Geography
EUGS 206 Introduction to American Urban Studies*
EUGS 208 Land and Life in Latin America*

Earth and Environmental Studies (continued)
EUGS 213 Urban Geography*+

Economics and Finance
ECON 100 Introduction to Economics
ECON 101 Principles of Economics: Macro
ECON 102 Principles of Economics: Micro

Educational Foundations
EDFD 200 Educational Foundations of Psychology
EDFD 264 Gender Issues in Education*

Health and Nutrition Sciences
HLTH 246 Epidemiology
HLTH 290 Human Sexuality
NUFD 153 Dynamics of Food and Society

Linguistics
LNGN 210 Introduction to General Linguistics
LNGN 230 Language in Society
LNGN 245 Language and Culture
LNGN 250 Language of Propaganda
LNGN 255 Language and Gender*

Political Science and Law
LSLW 200 Introduction to Law
LSLW 220 Conflict and Its Resolution*
POLS 100 Introduction to Politics
POLS 101 American Government and Politics
POLS 201 Comparative Politics

Psychology
PSYC 101 General Psychology I: Growth and Development
PSYC 102 Women’s Worlds
PSYC 109 The Human Environment

Sociology
SOCI 113 Social Problems
SOCI 206 Individual and Society
SOCI 230 Sociology of Conflict and Violence

Women’s Studies
WMST 102 Women’s Worlds

* Meets Multicultural Awareness Requirement.
+ Meets Human and Intercultural Relations Requirement for teacher certification.
** For honors program students only.

You are currently viewing the link for students who entered MSU as a Freshman between Fall 2002 and Spring 2006.

To replace GNED 303, take an additional course in this GenEd category:
[Study Abroad can also fulfill GNED 303.]

This GNED 303 replacement options applies only to students entering MSU as Freshmen (non-Transfer) in 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06.

K2 – Social Science/Non-Western Cultural Perspectives
Anthropology
ANTH 115 Cultures of the Middle East*
ANTH 120 Native North Americans*
ANTH 140 Nonwestern Contributions to the Western World*
ANTH 150 Native Latin Americans*
ANTH 170 Peoples of Africa*
ANTH 202 Anthropology of Globalization

Art and Design
ARHS 220 Art in Non-Western Societies*

Classics and General Humanities
GNHU 217 Reading Asian Cultures*
GNHU 289 Francophone Film*
GNHU 293 Russian Culture and Civilization

Earth and Environmental Studies
EUGS 207 Geography of East and Southeast Asia

History
HIST 108 Introduction to African Civilization*
HIST 114 Early Latin American Civilization*
HIST 132 Introduction to Chinese Civilization*

Latin American and Latino Studies
LALS 205 Image and Identity: Representation of Latin American
Women in Film and Fiction

Modern Languages and Literatures
ARAB 201 Introduction to Arab Culture
FREN 283 Introduction to Women Authors of French-Speaking Africa*
FREN 289 Francophone Film*
FRIN 283 Introduction toWomen Authors of French-Speaking Africa*
FRIN 289 Francophone Film*
GRIN 293 Russian Culture and Civilization

Sociology
SOCI 220 Sociology of Rich and Poor Nations

* Meets Multicultural Awareness Requirement.
** For honors program students only.

I entered MSU as a Freshman in Fall 2006 or later.

The GenEd Interdisciplinary Core requirement has been reduced for you – from nine credits to six credits. This means that the total number of credits you need to complete GenEd 2002 has also been reduced – to a maximum of 54 credits [a maximum of 37 credits for B.F.A. and B.Mus. students]. All majors still require a minimum of 120 credits to graduate. You are now required to fulfill ...

  • All distribution requirements in GenEd 2002
  • The Scientific Issues requirement, by taking GNED 201 or choosing another course from the new B1 list; and
  • Just one of the interdisciplinary team-taught courses on the new B2 list – either GNED 202 or GNED 303.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CORE

B1. Scientific Issues

This new B1 list applies to all students entering MSU in Fall 2006 and later – both Freshmen and Transfers (without an A.A. or A.S. degree from a New Jersey county/community college).
Take only one of the courses on this list.

Earth and Environmental Studies
EUGS 100 Principles of Geography
GEOS 162 General Oceanography

General Education Program
GNED 201 Scientific Issues

Health and Nutrition Sciences
HLTH 101 Personal Health Issues
HLTH 200 Introduction to Public Health
NUFD 182 Nutrition

Honors Program
HONP 211 Honors Seminar in Contemporary Issues I**

B2. Interdisciplinary National & Global Issues

This new B2 list applies to students entering MSU as Freshmen (non-Transfer) in Fall 2006 and later.
Take only one of the courses on this list.

General Education Program
GNED 202 Interdisciplinary National Issues
GNED 303 Interdisciplinary Global Issues

Honors Program
HONP 202 Honors Seminar in Contemporary Issues II**
HONP 103 Honors Seminar in Contemporary Civilization**

** For honors program students only.